Vehicular lamp having appearance of depth

Abstract

The front opening of a lamp body with a bulb disposed therein is covered with a lens. The lens is segmented into a plural number of segmental areas. A first fisheye step group composed of convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups composed of concave fisheye steps are alternatingly formed in the segmental areas. In the first fisheye step group, real images of the light source are formed on the front side of the lens by the convex fisheye steps. In the second fisheye step groups, virtual images are formed on the rear side of the lens by the concave fisheye steps. The distance between the real and virtual images of the light source creates an appearance of depth for the lamp.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicular marker Imp comprising: a lamp body having a front opening;   a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of said lamp body;   a light source mounted at the central part of said lamp body for emitting a light beam; and   an outer lens covering said front opening of said lamp body, said outer lens comprising a first fisheye step group comprising convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups comprising concave fisheye steps whereby an appearance of depth is provided.   
     
     
       2. A vehicular lamp comprising: a lamp body having a front opening;   a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of said lamp body;   a light source mounted at the central part of said lamp body for emitting a light beam; and   an outer lens covering said front opening of said lamp body, said outer lens comprising a first fisheye step group comprising convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups comprising concave fisheye, wherein said outer lens is segmented into a plurality of segmental areas that are equal in width, said first fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of an odd number of said segmental areas and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of an even number of said segmental areas.   
     
     
       3. A vehicular lamp comprising: a lamp body having a front opening;   a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of said lamp body;   a light source mounted at the central part of said lamp body for emitting a light beam: and   an outer lens covering said front opening of said lamp body, said outer lens comprising a first fisheye step group comprising convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups comprising concave fisheye steps, wherein said outer lens is segmented into a plurality of segmental areas that are equal in width, said first fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of an even number of said segmental areas, and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of an odd number of said segmental areas.   
     
     
       4. The vehicular lamp according to either one of claims 2 or 3, wherein said outer lens is vertically segmented. 
     
     
       5. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4, wherein said outer lens is segmented into five segmental areas, said first fisheye step group being formed on a side of a top, middle, and bottom ones of said segmental areas and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear side of other ones of said segmental areas. 
     
     
       6. The vehicular lamp according to either one of claims 2 or 3, wherein said outer lens is horizontally segmented. 
     
     
       7. The vehicular lamp according to claim 6, wherein said outer lens is segmented into five segmental areas, said first fisheye step group being formed on a rear side of leftmost, middle, and rightmost ones of said segmental areas, and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear side of other ones of said segmental areas. 
     
     
       8. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, further comprising an inner lens, formed of a transparent synthetic resin, covering said front opening of said lamp body, said inner lens being located inside said outer lens. 
     
     
       9. The vehicular lamp according to claim 8, wherein said inner lens comprises dewdrop-shaped steps formed on a rear side thereof, said dewdrop-shaped steps being circular when viewed from a front thereof and semicircular in cross section. 
     
     
       10. A vehicular lamp comprising: a lamp body having a front opening;   a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of said lamp body;   a light source mounted at the central part of said lamp body for emitting a light beam; and   an outer lens covering said front opening of said lamp body, said outer lens comprising a first fisheye step group comprising convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups comprising concave fisheye steps, wherein said outer lens is vertically segmented into four segmental areas, said first fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of a second segmental area from a top one of said segmental areas, and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of a top and third ones of said segmental areas.   
     
     
       11. The vehicular lamp according to claim 10, further comprising a retroreflection area comprising a plurality of retroreflection elements disposed on said second segmental area in locations where said first fisheye step group is formed. 
     
     
       12. The vehicular lamp according to claim 11, further comprising a wall surrounding said retroreflection area, an upper part and a lower part of said surrounding wall being formed above stripes of a linear stripe pair that adjoins said second segmental area, and a sealing plate, a peripheral edge of said sealing plate being welded to rear ends of said surrounding wall. 
     
     
       13. The vehicular lamp according to claim 10, wherein a bottom one of said segmental areas comprises horizontally extending cylindrical steps formed on a rear side thereof. 
     
     
       14. The vehicular lamp according to claim 13, wherein said outer lens comprises a backup lamp lens and a turn signal lamp lens. 
     
     
       15. A vehicular lamp comprising: a lamp body having a front opening;   a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of said lamp body;   a light source mounted at the central part of said lamp body for emitting a light beam; and   an outer lens covering said front opening of said lamp body, said outer lens comprising a first fisheye step group comprising convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups comprising concave fisheye steps, wherein said lamp body comprises first, second and third lamp chambers arranged side by side, said first lamp chamber being a tail/stop lamp chamber, said second lamp chamber being a turn signal lamp chamber, and said lamp chamber being continuous with said second lamp chamber and being located on a right upper side of said second lamp chamber, said third lamp chamber serving as a reflecting lamp chamber, inner surfaces of said first, second and third lamp chambers having a reflecting coating formed thereon, and said lens being segmented into first, second and third sectional areas corresponding to said first, second and third lamp chambers, respectively.   
     
     
       16. The vehicular lamp according to claim 15, wherein each of said first, second and third lenses is vertically segmented into a plurality of sectional areas, said first and second fisheye step groups being formed in said vertically segmented sectional areas alternatingly. 
     
     
       17. The vehicular lamp according to claim 16, further comprising laterally extending third convex fisheye steps horizontally arranged between adjacent first and second fisheye step groups, a height of each said third convex fisheye steps being substantially equal in height to said first and second fisheye steps, and a width of each of said third convex fisheye steps being about three times as long as a width of said first and second steps. 
     
     
       18. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lens is made of synthetic resin. 
     
     
       19. A vehicular marker lamp comprising: a lamp body having a front opening;   a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of said lamp body;   a light source mounted at the central part of said lamp body for emitting a light beam; and   an outer lens covering said front opening of said lamp body, said outer lens comprising a first fisheye step group comprising convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups comprising concave fisheye steps whereby an appearance of depth is provided wherein said outer lens is segmented into a plurality of segmental areas that are equal in width, said first fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of an odd number of said segmental areas and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of an even number of said segmental areas wherein said outer lens is vertically segmented into four segmental areas, said first fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of a second segmental area from a top one of said segmental areas, and said second fisheye step group being formed on a rear surface of a top and third ones of said segmental areas.